


Don't Know How We'll Be Okay (But I'll Find a Way)

by AuraSweet13



Series: The siblings of Tehran [2]
Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: Based off the song by Nico and Vinz feat Emmanuel Jal, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-18 10:11:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7310794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuraSweet13/pseuds/AuraSweet13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first night after their parents are killed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Know How We'll Be Okay (But I'll Find a Way)

The sun was going down. For the citizens of Tehran, that meant it was time for them to gather up their children from where they played outside, and send them off to get ready for bed.

Samar Navabi, though she followed the same nightly routine as the other inhabitants of the house, didn't know how anyone could go on about their lives as normal, when it felt like her own life had completely ended. Shaking those thoughts off, she helped Shahin get ready for bed.

Instead of sleeping in their own home, they were staying at their aunt Vashti and uncle Danyal's place. After she'd led them to the house, after they had cleared away the bodies, Vashti had insisted they stay at their house for a few days, until everything had been figured out. She hadn't taken no for an answer, which led Samar to believe it was more of an order than a suggestion.

Not that she minded, not really.

After the sight she had laid her eyes on almost as soon as she entered their house, she had no desire whatsoever to spend the night there until she'd had more time to wrap her head around what had happened.

She walked out of the bathroom with Shahin into the guest bedroom their aunt and uncle had. The bed was large enough to comfortably fit two adults, so it would easily accommodate the two children. Though the bed wasn't that far off the floor, she helped Shahin onto it, then moved around and climbed up onto the other side, snuggling down under the covers with him.

He clung to her almost instantly, nestling his face into the crook of her neck, and her arms came to wrap tightly around him. Not tightly enough to hurt him, but protectively. _"Samar, can you tell me a story, please?"_ She had to strain to hear his words, as they were muffled against her neck.

She lightly combed her fingers through his hair. _"I think I can do that. What story would you like to hear?"_

 _"Tell me the story of Zal and Simurgh again, please?"_ He asked, so innocently, that Samar could almost ignore the way her heart thudded painfully in her chest. Of course he would request that one. It had been their mother's favorite, and in turn, it had been theirs as well.

Nodding, she dropped another kiss to his head, and then started to tell the tale the way she remembered their mother told it, while still throwing her own spin on it now and again.

As she told the story, she remembered the day he'd been born. She'd been nearly five years old, and ecstatic at the prospect of having a little sibling. Boy or girl, it genuinely didn't matter. She had just been happy that she would no longer be the only child in their household-even though their parents doted on her, it had been unbearably lonely. And now, as she looked down at him, contented and almost asleep nestled into her side, wrapped in the blankets, she felt the exact same way as she had all those years ago. Protective. Ready to do whatever it took to keep him safe, to make sure he didn't end up like their parents.

She'd made a promise to their parents at their graves that she would.

Samar finished the poem, and found that Shahin was sound asleep against her side. It both warmed her heart and made it ache that he was still so innocent, even after their ordeal. She wanted to keep it that way for as long as she possibly could. She reached over to shut off the light, and threw the room into darkness. Though she knew she likely wouldn't sleep, perhaps ever again, in order to keep them safe, she wanted Shahin to have as solid a sleep as possible. She lay there in the dark, listening to the sounds of the house, of her aunt and uncle milling about, of her cousins snoring lightly in the next room; milling over their situation and trying to figure out _why_.

Why had their parents been killed so brutally? It didn't make any sense.

In that moment, she felt a lot older than thirteen. But as long as she had Shahin to look after, she refused to crumble.

 _"Don't worry, Shahin."_ She whispered, her voice cutting through the silence of the night. _"I'll protect you. I'm not going anywhere."_

She didn't care what she had to do.


End file.
